Local Mom Collects Letters for Former Crossroads Mall Santa [AUDIO]

ST. CLOUD - Letters to Santa are a Christmas staple, but one St. Cloud woman is approaching the tradition differently this year.

Lisa Villarreal learned earlier this season that Dick Scott, a Florida man who personified Santa Claus at the Crossroads Shopping Center for over a decade, would not be returning this year due to his wife's health.

Villarreal, whose two children grew up visiting Scott every year, says he always knew exactly how to bring the best out of the kids. The news, and circumstances surrounding it, left her family and many others sad and wanting to reach out.

So, she decided to do something about it - she began reaching out to friends and media outlets via Facebook (including WJON) to collect families' favorite memories of taking their children to see Santa, and send them to Scott in Florida.

Villarreal says Scott truly made the holidays bright. "We just want to share with him after he shared himself with us for so long," she says.

Villarreal is sending the around 30 letters and photos she's collected on Friday, hoping they reach Scott in time for Christmas. She hopes they show him St. Cloud misses him and wishes him a happy holiday.